


Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

by bohnem990



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cheating, Consensual Infidelity, Infidelity, M/M, Relationship Negotiation, Semi-Consensual Cheating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-12
Updated: 2015-03-12
Packaged: 2018-03-17 12:06:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3528776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bohnem990/pseuds/bohnem990
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They had been married one year and a few months the first time it happened. They were over thirty years old, both still playing for the Stars and going strong, just as planned. But this was an event he hadn't planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first Hockey RPF fic ever posted on AO3! This fic was previously posted on my tumblr with some different characters and it was a bit shorter. So if you think you've seen it before, you have! 
> 
> Thanks so much to Natalie for pre-reading and telling me if it was shit or not. <3
> 
> You can find me on tumblr over [here](http://chicago-runsonduncan.tumblr.com)!

He found the journal on his laptop. Jamie hadn't been snooping. He was borrowing Tyler's laptop because his was dead and sharing was common practice. The journal had been pulled up when he opened it; Jamie didn't mean to read it, but it was there. He definitely was not going to say anything because they were getting married in two months and he was not throwing a good thing away. 

Eventually he forgot about it. 

Three weeks away from the wedding found him walking into Brownie's apartment and he can see them from the door, wrapped around each other on the couch. They're just sleeping, he can see the steady rise and fall of their chests, but it still brings back memories of what he found on his laptop. 

He turned around and walked out, forgetting to ask Brownie if he had a plus one yet. If he could choose his plus one would probably be Tyler, Jamie realized now. 

He probably should have asked Tyler about the journal, but it was too late to take it back now. He would have to resolve that he would always be second best. First had been Marshall and Cash -yes, he had placed behind the dogs, even as Tyler's fiance-, now it was Brownie. He'd done it for years, what was the rest of her life?

\----

Jamie wasn't watching Tyler, he was watching Brownie as the officiator asked for anyone to 'speak now or forever hold their peace.' Jamie should have asked them to take that out, to not give Brownie the chance to ruin this. But he didn't, lips pursed tightly together as he watched the officiator. 

"I do," they both said, grinning widely as they laughed and shared their first kiss as a married couple.

It was only after that when he thought to watch Brownie, to see his resolve crumple, face torn and eyes a mess of emotion. It was hard on Jamie to see him like that, but Tyler was finally his. 

\----

They had been married one year and a few months the first time it happened. They were over thirty years old, both still playing for the Stars and going strong, just as planned. But this was an event he hadn't planned. 

Tyler and Brownie were making out on the couch. Brownie had finally traded up and was an NHL star, but it was off season and he spent most of it in an apartment on the other side of Dallas. It wasn't like they were trying to hide it and Jamie froze in the doorway, grabbing his keys quickly to silence the sound of them in the door before backing away, shutting the door behind him as quietly as possible. 

He drove around for nearly an hour, hoping that by the time he returned they would be.. done. They were. 

He pasted on a smile, earlier events forgotten and kissed Tyler softly on the lips. The boys were watching some movie he couldn't name and Jamie was content to pretend he hadn't seen anything. 

\----

By the fifth time he stopped being surprised. 

He'd eventually lost count, walking into the house one Saturday after a trip to buy groceries, not expecting a scene on the couch. 

He hadn't even seen them, just heard a litany of "fuck" and "shit" and clothes rustling and the couch creaking. It was too late to pretend, so he kept his back to them as he unloaded the groceries. 

Jamie was half way through stocking beer into the fridge, a six pack of Molson that and Tyler both hated but Brownie loved, when he could hear the nervous shuffling of Tyler's feet is the doorway, Brownie's fearful breaths still echoing from the living room. 

"Look, Jamie, it's not-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Tyler Seguin." Still Seguin because they decided that three Benns on the same time was just crazy and the fans were used to double names anyway. So instead, Jamie was now Jamie Seguin.

He let him stand in silence, the only sound between them was the rustle of groceries as he finished putting them away.

"I didn't marry a liar." Jamie turned to him, his face neutral as he leaned back against the counter. "And you didn't marry a fool."

"What does that mean?" The words were soft, would have been lost to the air had they been something other absolutely attuned to each other. 

"I've always known I was second best, Tyler. I knew that when I married you." 

He stepped closer to him, patting his cheek twice before moving around him and into the living room. 

"Brownie, he may have loved you first, but he's my husband." 

Jamie left. Figuratively. He went to Jordie's house, all warm colors and drank tea and laughed loudly. He didn't cry, didn't tell Jordie what he'd finally gathered the courage to say. They ate dinner and talked about Jessica. Jordie had finally put a ring on it. Jamie knew that he wouldn't cheat on Jessica. 

When he went home it was dark, made just enough noise to wake Tyler, maybe out of spite. But he wasn't angry. Anger was foolish when he had known this would happen. He slipped into bed, curling around Tyler like big spoon and breathed him in. He smelled like home. 

"I love you." He squeezed Tyler's hand. He wasn't lying. Second best had never felt so good.

\----

There had never been a question in his mind if he would let Tyler do this to him. Jamie had known before he said "I do" that Brownie came first. He was just self-deprecating enough that he knew he would rather have Tyler be happy with someone else, but coming home to him, if it meant Tyler would stay. 

And so far Tyler had stayed, so Jamie didn't see the harm in what he was doing. So what if some nights he couldn't sleep, awake for hours wondering why he wasn't enough for Tyler in the same ways that Tyler was more than enough for him. 

Jordie would punch Jamie in the face if he knew. It's why he didn't know; Jamie would like to keep his fighting strictly on the ice and not with his brother.

When Jamie woke up the next morning the bed was cold where Tyler was supposed to be and he could smell coffee. He sincerely hoped Tyler was not using the Keurig because the last time he did, he had broken it beyond repair. 

He wasn't sure why it was a surprise when he walked into into the kitchen and Brownie was there, shoving a coffee mug into Tyler's face. 

"Cool, you're up," Brownie smiled, infectious as always, and pushed and mug -made perfectly with only two teaspoons of sugar- at Jamie when he sat down beside Tyler at the island. 

Something strange settled into the pit of Jamie's stomach, like Brownie should be ashamed of last night, but he wasn't and that felt wrong to Jamie. It was one thing to be okay with your husband being with another man, but to be be the other man when the first man knew?

"I'm going to Canada for the rest of the summer." Brownie gave no preamble, simply struggled and sipped his own coffee. 

"It's nice to be here in the summer, training with you guys. I know this is all shit," he waved a hand between the three of them, "But I can't be here any more. It's one thing to sneak around. And fuck, no, that's not okay. I know it. But it's another thing to know you're okay with it."

Brownie looked sad, like Jamie was somehow at fault for this. Which yes, he probably was, but he also wasn't. He didn't make Tyler cheat on him. 

God, that word sounded awful, cut the back of his throat like razors.

"You gotta have more self respect than that, Jamie."

Brownie was walking around the island, squeezing Tyler's shoulder and kissing Jamie's cheek. Which, what the fuck? But he didn't get the chance to ask because then he was gone, front door closing in his wake.

Jamie squeezed his eyes shut and hoped this was all a nightmare. It wasn't. Tyler was still in the same place when he opened them.

"I asked him him to leave," Tyler's spoke softly, timid and scared. "I'm not.. okay with what I've done. I don't know how you are."

"I love you."

"Is that enough? Is this over? Because Jamie I can't stomach that. I am so sorry. Please, please forgive me."

"Tyler," Jamie shushed him, cupping his cheek and kissing him gently, softly and full of love. "We can can fix this. As long as you love me, we can fix this."

"Of course I love you."

"Then we're okay."

And they were, because they could fix this. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.


End file.
